220 
CONVERSATION WITH THE PRINCE. 
“ rived.” He finished this part of the conference by saying, that 
he would think upon what was now to be done, that he would 
write to the Ambassador, and that at night he would send for me 
again to tell me what was his determination. He then conversed 
upon indifferent subjects; and when I told him of our agreeable 
sensations upon beholding his troop of horse-artillery at Ojan, and 
that we felt ourselves in some measure transported to England, his 
eyes glistened with the most lively pleasure, and he said, “ Well, that 
“ is just what Mirza Abul Hassan Khan has told me. He assured me, 
“ that on entering Aderbigian he thought himself again in England; and 
“ that if the Persians want to see what England is, they have only 
“ to look at the country over which I govern.” Poor Prince! could 
he but take one look at England, how great would be the revolution in 
his ideas! How great would be the probable consequences to the 
whole of his country, and perhaps to the whole of Asia 1 
After our conference, the Prince sent me more fruit piled up in 
china bowls, cooled with ice, placed upon a silver tray, and covered 
with a shawl napkin, for which, according to eastern custom, I ex¬ 
claimed, “ May the Prince’s prosperity increase,” and gave to the bearer 
of the present, a small donation of money. 
At about nine o’clock in the evening, the Prince sent me a message, 
saying, that if I would eat my dinner now, he would send for me two 
hours after. Accordingly at about midnight a confidential servant, at¬ 
tended by large lanterns, conducted me to his master, whom I found 
seated alone in the same place as the morning, and with his tent lighted 
up by one taper. He made me sit down about a yard opposite to him, 
near the light, and dictated to me, whilst I wrote in my pocket book 
what I was to say to the Ambassador. I then took my leave, and 
immediately mounting my horse, reached Tabriz the next morning 
at eight o’clock, just as the Ambassador was at breakfast. 
The position of affairs between Persia and Turkey became very cri¬ 
tical about this time; and the whole of our influence was required, both 
at Constantinople and in Persia, to keep them from hostilities. 
It will be remembered that Abdurakhman Pasha, the Courd, after 
